A Change For The Better
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: Rachel makes a huge decision with the help of her loving family and friends.


**Just a little story I came up with. I only own my OCs. Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action and Nightmare Before Christmas belongs to Disney and Touchstone.**

 **A/N: Homeschooling is similar to regular school, only it is at home. Now, I'm not forcing anyone to accept homeschooling because homeschooling is not for everyone, as some people do good in regular school and others do good in homeschooling. So please don't leave reviews saying I have something against regular schools, because I don't. I just think both options have pros and cons, like everything else. Just wanted to get that out of the way, thanks.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **A Change For The Better**

Rachel was in her office at her workplace, having just finished all the paperwork and it was only two o'clock. She pulled out her unfinished lunch and sighed. She didn't have much appetite today.

She was worried, because she had been seriously considering a huge decision that would affect her family. She had talked about it to her uncles and they had been wonderful listeners and given good advice, something she was very thankful for. She had also talked to her sisters and the aliens she considered her brothers. They had been in mostly in favor of the decision, and had admitted they had been giving it serious consideration too.

Just then, her boss came in and saw her looking like she was having a rough day. "Is everything alright, Rachel?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir," she said and gave him the files she had finished. "I've had a lot on my mind for the past week."

"I noticed," he said. "What is it?"

Rachel sighed. "Well, you know I've been called from work several times because of bullies bothering my nieces and nephews at their school, right?" she asked.

"Yes," said her boss. "I've also noticed that no matter how many times you've spoken to many of the teachers and the principal, it keeps happening, even when you've called in Superintendent Brian Forhowser to speak to them."

"Yes," said Rachel with a sigh, a tired look on her face. "As a result, I've been seriously considering having my nieces and nephews homeschooled. Grace is a certified teacher and she's been considering dropping her job at the schools because Christian and Hope get either blamed for something they didn't do or they get bullied." She sighed again. "I guess I'm wondering if I'm making a right decision. Grace and my other sisters who are mothers and my brothers are all for it, but I haven't told the children yet."

Her boss listened and looked thoughtful. "It would affect them, but if my little girl was constantly getting bullied and the teachers did nothing about it, I would definitely homeschool her," he said. "If you'd like, I'll give you tomorrow and the weekend off so that you can get everything ready to homeschool them."

She was surprised. "But that huge contract is tomorrow, sir," she said respectfully. "I promised you I'd work on that contract."

"And you did work on it," he said, holding out a file for her to see. She opened it and realized she had worked on it without realizing it.

"Oh." Rachel looked a bit sheepish. "I guess I was so worried about this decision that my mind automatically started working on this and I didn't even realize it was the contract for tomorrow."

Her boss chuckled. "Which is why I trust you with these contracts, because I know you'll get them done and in a timely fashion if I give them to you a day early," he said. "You're one of my best workers, Rachel."

"Thank you, sir," she said respectfully.

Suddenly, her office phone rang. "Excuse me," she said politely and answered the phone. "Rachel Jocklin speaking. How may I help you?"

"Rachel, it's Sergeant Williams," said the man on the phone.

The urgency in his voice told Rachel something was wrong. "Sergeant, is everything alright?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not. Your nieces Chelsea and Hope are missing from school, as are some of the kids who bullied them. From what the Kindergarten told me, one of the bullies had his friends grab Chelsea and Hope and they all drove off into the woods by the school."

Rachel froze. "The woods by the school?" she said. "Isn't the old cemetery there?"

"No, they went on the opposite side of the cemetery were all those strange things happened in the town's early history," said Sergeant Williams. "Many cold cases that the police department here dealt with in the past have happened there."

"You mean the place where it was rumored that a family that was gothic lived?" Rachel asked. "It's true?"

"It was, until almost a century ago. On October 31st, almost a century ago, the family was killed in a fire that some boys had set as a joke to see if the family would make it out," said the policeman. "But they didn't make it out and because it was dry out here at the time, apparently because it hadn't rained for a while, the fire spread and the town burned to ashes, except for a pastor, his family, and a few other families who lived a few miles out."

Rachel remembered reading about that in her history class once. "The Deadly Fire of Revenge," she said. "I read about it when studying history class. It was another good thirty years before Staybrook was rebuilt and prospered, but no one has forgotten about that fire. But why would several cases the police department has dealt with gone cold there?"

"For a long time now, some kids and their families have disappeared and haven't been found. Not even our informants have seen them," Sergeant Williams told her. "I don't know what those kids are doing, but it's dangerous to be there."

Rachel was now really worried. "I'll meet you at the station," she said and turned to her boss.

He nodded. "Go," he said gently. "Hurry."

Nodding, she grabbed her things and ran out the door, calling her uncles and telling them what happened.

"Rachel, get to the station and then to the school and get the kids out of there," said Joseph, her eldest uncle. "We'll talk to Judge Forhowser and Superintendent Forhowser about the permits you'll all need to homeschool the kids."

"Meanwhile, we'll call a friend to find Chelsea and Hope," said Charles.

Rachel arrived at the police station. "Who will you call?" she asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Rachel," said Russell. "You know him and he'll get the girls out of there and back to the Mansion."

Worried, but knowing her uncles would never say for her not to worry if they didn't have a plan, she trusted them, and wondered who they had been talking about sending to save Chelsea and Hope.

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Meanwhile, Chelsea and Hope had been taken to that very same place where that deadly fire happened years ago and the bullies were snickering and deciding to chase the girls into the cemetery on the other side of the woods, but before they could do that, the lead bully saw something step out of the woods and come up behind the two girls, looking at them with an angry look on his face, which was frightening because he had no eyes and then his mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth.

Chelsea looked over her shoulder when she sensed someone behind her and Hope and she screamed at seeing a tall skeleton with a black suit on and his skull face fixed in a frightening expression. Her scream, along with her grabbing Hope and running, startled the bullies, who took off while the skeleton monster chased them out of the woods. When they made it out, they heard him let out a roar that shook them to their cores and they ran as fast as they had ever run before.

Jack Skellington laughed to himself when he saw the bullies run off and turned to go searching for the two girls that had run off when he arrived. When Joseph Jocklin, a good friend, had called him and asked him to save Chelsea and Hope, he didn't hesitate, especially after hearing the girls were Rachel's nieces. He now searched and found them by the waterfall near the mansion, thinking about crossing it to get home, but the air was getting cold as night was approaching. Jack came out. "Hello, girls," he said pleasantly.

Hope saw him and screamed, hugging Chelsea who looked frightened and stepped back as Jack came forward and kneeled down to Chelsea's height. "Don't be afraid, girls," he said, his voice gentle. "Your great-uncle Joseph called me and asked me to find you."

They looked a little less scared, but still wary. "We're not supposed to talk or go with strangers," said Chelsea.

Jack chuckled. "I understand," he said gently. "Why don't you call your aunt Rachel and ask her about 'Jack Skellington'."

Still wary of him, Chelsea pulled out her phone and called Rachel, who answered right away. "Chelsea?" she asked, her voice worried.

"Aunt Rachel? Who's Jack Skellington?" the fourteen year old asked her.

Hearing that name, Rachel breathed a sigh of relief as she now knew who her uncle had called. "He's a good friend of mine, honey," she said. "Is he with you and Hope right now?"

Chelsea looked up at the skeleton. "I think so," she said. "He had a black and white suit on."

Rachel gave a thoughtful hum. "Honey, can you put me on the video chat?"

Chelsea did so and held out the phone so her aunt could see the skeleton. Rachel smiled. "Hello, Jack," she said pleasantly.

"Hello, Rachel," he returned her greeting with a smile.

"Did Uncle Joseph really call him, Aunty?" asked Hope.

"Yes, he did, sweetheart," said Rachel. "Girls, I need you to go with Jack. He'll bring you back to the Mansion. Okay?"

Both girls nodded and turned to Jack, who was still kneeling down and he held his arms open to them in a welcoming gesture. Hope went up to him and let him pick her up. His gentleness with Hope showed Chelsea he could be trusted and she let him pick her up too and he raced back to the Grant Mansion.

* * *

Rachel, Water Hazard, and Gravattack were waiting anxiously in the living room when Jack came bursting in with the girls in his arms. Chelsea immediately ran to her father and Hope ran toward her father while Rachel hugged Jack, thanking him for finding the girls. Finally, the owner of the Grant Mansion called a meeting with everyone in the ballroom.

"As you are all aware, we have been called too many times to the kids' school because they've been bullied or wrongfully blamed. As a result, I've spoken with all of you about having the children homeschooled here. Are there any concerns about this decision?" she asked.

Bianca spoke up. "While Grace is a teacher, surely we can't ask her to teach our children for no pay," she said. "That wouldn't be right."

Rachel nodded. "I agree, Bianca. Grace?"

Grace nodded and stood up. "I have been thinking about retiring from the schools and have spoken with Sergeant Williams. He is looking for a secretary to work for half a day. I have accepted that position and can teach the children in the morning and was wondering if any of the aliens would be in opposition of taking over the schoolroom for a couple hours a day?" she asked.

Whampire stood up. "It is rare that all of us aliens are gone on a mission all at once," he said. "I see no harm in helping the children for a couple hours a day."

Water Hazard stood up next. "I agree with Whampire," he said.

Rachel nodded. "All in favor?" she asked.

Everyone rose at that. "Any opposed?" Rachel asked. Everyone sat down, except for Gravattack, who looked at his fiancée.

"Grace, are you absolutely sure?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "I'm sure, hon," she said. "I have already chosen a curriculum that will work best for the children, thanks to the Jocklin Brothers doing a lot of research beforehand."

"We owe them a big thanks," said Sasha with a smile. "As long as Grace is okay with it, then I'm for it."

The other aliens and humans voiced their agreement and Gravattack nodded in agreement. Rachel smiled.

Chloe then spoke up. "Aunt Rachel? Will this really be better?" she asked worriedly.

The owner of the Grant Mansion nodded. "You kids won't have to worry about bullies and such," she said. "Plus, I've noticed a few of you are struggling with some subjects. With the new curriculum Grace has chosen, you'll have less trouble with those subjects and have more time to go over the parts you are struggling with so you can understand them better."

She saw Matthew and Alice nod as they both had trouble with Math and Reading and wanted to not struggle with it. Grace stood up again.

"I forgot to ask, Rachel. Is there a room that is available for the schoolroom?" she asked.

Rachel nodded. "I recently asked Eatle, Grey Matter, and Jury Rigg to renovate another part of the Mansion for a few more rooms and when they finished, they had one big room that they were unsure of what to do with. I told them we'd find some use for it. It would be perfect for the schoolroom," she said with a smile before looking around. "In conclusion, the vote is unanimous?"

The cheers that followed gave her her answer and she smiled, knowing this change was definitely for the better and would help the kids in the long run.

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 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


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